Friday, April 29, 2011

Honda CBR 1000F custom

Honda CBR 1000F custom

You’d be hard pressed to guess that this bike started life as a 1987 Honda Hurricane, known less evocatively as the CBR 1000F. This amazing machine took Ian McElroy two years to build, and if you spot a little of the KTM RC8 in there, you’re right—the Austrian superbike was one of the inspirations for McElroy’s stealth-fighter angles and curves. The fenders are hand-crafted from aluminum, and a new subframe reshaped the back end. The bodywork is formed from sheets of aluminum meticulously welded together, and the original gauges have been replaced by a Veypor setup that can also record G-force, 0-60, quarter mile time and lap time as well as speed and RPM. With 130 bhp on tap, the DOHC, 998cc, 16 valve four is not short of go—but K&N filters and a custom-made, less restrictive exhaust system have given the motor an extra kick. And there’s nothing stealth about the sound: McElroy’s Honda reportedly sounds like a drag bike at the strip. For the full story, check out Benjamin Bowen’s write-up on Custom Fighters. [Thanks to Josh Goodwin for the tip, Ian McElroy, who took the first three images shown, and Peter Lombardi, who took the final seven.]

PS: Bike EXIF has been nominated as a finalist in the 2011 Best Australian Blogs competition. (Yes, we’re based in Sydney.) If you have a minute to spare, I’d be really grateful if you could vote for us. The voting form is here, and we’re about halfway down the list on the first page. Thank you.